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Connecticut Today - October 14, 2026 · Connecticut Today

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  P>Good morning. It's Wednesday, October 14th, and this is Connecticut Today, CT
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  Insider's daily audio briefing. Catch up on Connecticut, all news, no noise
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  in under 5 minutes. We're starting off with a quick look at
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  the weather. Connecticut will see one more warm, almost summerlike afternoon, with
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  sunshine pushing temperatures well into the 70s before a colder pattern arrives
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  for the weekend. We'll have the full weather update at the end
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  of the briefing.
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  In today's headlines, A CT Insider investigation has revealed ongoing problems at
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  Solnit Children's Center, the state's psychiatric hospital for children in Middletown. Clinicians
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  and a probate judge agreed a 17-year-old patient was ready for discharge,
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  but the Department of Children and Families had no placement for her,
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  according to her attorney. She spent weeks in emergency departments and temporary
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  placements, highlighting a broader issue where children ready to leave Solnit have
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  nowhere to go. Independent monitors have reported slow progress on safety repairs,
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  with nearly half of registered nurse positions vacant and repeated maintenance issues
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  unaddressed. Lawmakers have called the situation a crisis and are demanding staffing
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  and capital plans, but oversight committees have yet to meet and recommendations
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  are not due for over a year. Governor Ned Lamont said the
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  state is making progress but acknowledged there is, quote, a long way
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  to go to improve conditions.
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  A new Wallet Hub study ranks Connecticut as the least energy efficient
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  state in New England and 26th nationally. The state's lowest score came
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  in home energy efficiency, where it placed 31st. Vermont led the region,
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  ranking second in the nation, while Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, and New
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  Hampshire all outperformed Connecticut. Experts say simple upgrades like weather stripping, insulation,
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  and LED bulbs can help reduce utility bills, and the U.S. Department
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  of Energy estimates energy-efficient measures can cut household costs by up to
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  25. Yale Professor Kenneth Gillingham recommends homeowners consider a professional energy audit
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  to identify the most effective improvements. Connecticut's wedding season is in full
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  swing, with the second week of October ranking as one of the
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  busiest times for ceremonies. State records show that from 2000 to 2016,
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  the 41st week of the year, typically early October, averaged about 575
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  weddings annually, second only to late June. Valentine's Day remains the single
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  most popular date, but September is the top month for weddings overall.
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  The state's marriage rate has climbed from 5 per 1,000 residents in
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  2019 to nearly 7 in 2024, according to the Centers for Disease
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  Control and Prevention. Most states saw marriage rates decline during that period,
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  but Connecticut's numbers have rebounded since the pandemic. In Bridgeport, the future
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  of hockey at the city's 10,000-seat arena remains uncertain. Doug Marshall, the
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  only bidder proposing to bring a new minor league hockey team, confirmed
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  he is not The unnamed entity currently negotiating with city and state
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  officials. The Department of Economic and Community Development says talks are ongoing
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  with a preferred respondent but has not revealed their identity. Smartshall's plan
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  would preserve the ice rink and require no municipal funding, while other
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  proposals focus on non-sporting events and may need significant public investment. The
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  arena has been without a hockey tenant since the Islanders left for
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  Ontario earlier this year, and no new events are currently scheduled. Yukon
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  women's basketball fans got a preview of the upcoming season during an
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  exhibition win over Syracuse. Freshman guard Giovanna Popovic stood out, scoring 10
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  points with three assists and a steal in her debut. Popovic, Yukon's
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  first player from Serbia, impressed coaches with her quickness, decision-making, and defensive
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  skills. Head coach Geno Oryema said, quote, she needs to be on
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  the floor, noting her maturity and ability to handle pressure. Popovic previously
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  led her Serbian club to a national championship and has played for
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  Coserbia's national teams. And now for the full weather forecast. Wednesday will
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  be the warmest day of the week, with inland highs reaching the
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  mid to upper seventies and some spots near 80 degrees. The shoreline
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  will be a bit cooler, with highs in the low to mid
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  seventies. A cold front arrives Thursday, bringing cooler air and a chance
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  for showers by Thursday night. The weekend will feel much colder, with
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  highs struggling to reach the lower 50s and brisk winds expected. Thanks
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  for listening. For more local news, visit ctinsider.com. This digest was partially
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  generated by AI and then reviewed and edited by our newsroom staff.